Gymnastics: Cats prepare for a challenge in the Bayou

April 11, 2008

Story by Jasmine Whitlow | Staff

This season, the UK gymnastics team has experienced its share of ups and downs.

The season began with an upsetting win against No. 12 Auburn that put the Cats on pace to reach their goal of being invited to the NCAA Championship meet. But a midseason slump that saw seven consecutive losses endangered those hopes.

Now, as the Cats approach the regional meet this weekend, they have a resurging chance to accomplishing their initial goals.
kmmt_815z7i88.jpg

Photo by Ed Matthews | Staff
Sophomore Hillary Ferguson said the turnaround came in UK’s Feb. 15 meet against Arkansas. Although the team didn’t win, they found the confidence that would last them for weeks to come.

“We started off kind of slow, but the Arkansas meet turned us around, even though we didn’t win,” Ferguson said. “We started off rocky on bar, but we were able to completely turn the meet around. It was an amazing feeling that we could come back and overcome that much adversity and still come out well.”

The team went on to win or place first in five meets heading into this weekend’s regional which is being held at Louisiana State. Coach Mo Mitchell said that so much is at steak as his team takes the floor.

“Unfortunately our whole season will be predicated by what we do this weekend,” Mitchell said. “If we go out and do a fantastic job we would have had a great season. If we go out and don’t do what we’re suppose to do then it’s going to look like our season was not as good as it should have been.”

Mitchell said that the success of this weekend will effect more then just his current teams but teams to come as well.

Because so much of recruiting in gymnastics depends on the ranking of the team, most schools are pushing to have a high final ranking. UK, which is currently ranked No. 20, can move up or down depending on their performance tomorrow.

But the Cats are confident heading into the meet. Ferguson said the team has nothing to lose this weekend.

Mitchell said the team just has to go out and do their best because unlike in other sports, defense is not a factor in gymnastics; teams just have to go out and perform.

“We have to do our job,” Mitchell said. “We can’t control what anybody else does, we just have to do what we do, and do it very well.”

 

Posted by Brad Luttrell | Filed Under Sports 

Comments

Got something to say?